It's alright. It didn't blow me away as being truly epic and brilliant. But it was alright. I couldn't really figure out what the aim of it was - the official line is that it's supposed to be set in-between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, but I can say I really felt it to be set in the same world as those films.

Having Kevin Conroy voice Batman is one part of the problem. His voice is so attached to the 90s animated series that it disorientating for these stories - it's not Bale Batman we're seeing..,but it's in a darker, rougher world than Conroy's Batman was set in...but it's neither one or the other.

I know it's probably not entirely fair to bring up The Animatrix but....as with The Animatrix, it's slightly hit and miss - both story and animation wise.

From the animation aspect, it is good for the most part. However, "In Darkness Dwells" has some really odd facial movements and "Field Test", which features an anime-look (as most know it) which just didn't fit the voice talent.

"Have I Got A Story For You" (as remake of the Animated Series episode "Legends of the Dark Knight") and "Crossfire" (featuring two detectives having to travel into the lost Narrows) both quite easily slip into the gap between films - one adding to the mythic status of the "The Bat Man", the other filling in the story of the power gap left after Batman's influence has been felt.

"Field Test" and "Working Through The Pain" were the low points...they simply didn't add anything to the story for me. We know Batman is able to carry on through adverse conditions. We know Batman doesn't like bullets.

"In Darkness Dwells" featuring The Scarecrow and an odd version of Killer Croc, and "Deadshot" featuring an interesting conflict, are both strong stories but again neither entirely feels like it's associated with Batman Begins.

Perhaps I was expecting something else...or too much....and wanted it to feel more properly connected with the films, rather than just interpretations of stories that could be. In the words of Bryan Singer, Gotham Knight might work as "vague history" - as well as an treat for anime fans - but little else.

It's alright. It didn't blow me away as being truly epic and brilliant. But it was alright. I couldn't really figure out what the aim of it was - the official line is that it's supposed to be set in-between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, but I can say I really felt it to be set in the same world as those films.

Having Kevin Conroy voice Batman is one part of the problem. His voice is so attached to the 90s animated series that it disorientating for these stories - it's not Bale Batman we're seeing..,but it's in a darker, rougher world than Conroy's Batman was set in...but it's neither one or the other.

I know it's probably not entirely fair to bring up The Animatrix but....as with The Animatrix, it's slightly hit and miss - both story and animation wise.

From the animation aspect, it is good for the most part. However, "In Darkness Dwells" has some really odd facial movements and "Field Test", which features an anime-look (as most know it) which just didn't fit the voice talent.

"Have I Got A Story For You" (as remake of the Animated Series episode "Legends of the Dark Knight") and "Crossfire" (featuring two detectives having to travel into the lost Narrows) both quite easily slip into the gap between films - one adding to the mythic status of the "The Bat Man", the other filling in the story of the power gap left after Batman's influence has been felt.

"Field Test" and "Working Through The Pain" were the low points...they simply didn't add anything to the story for me. We know Batman is able to carry on through adverse conditions. We know Batman doesn't like bullets.

"In Darkness Dwells" featuring The Scarecrow and an odd version of Killer Croc, and "Deadshot" featuring an interesting conflict, are both strong stories but again neither entirely feels like it's associated with Batman Begins.

Perhaps I was expecting something else...or too much....and wanted it to feel more properly connected with the films, rather than just interpretations of stories that could be. In the words of Bryan Singer, Gotham Knight might work as "vague history" - as well as an treat for anime fans - but little else.

I pretty much agree with this. Some of the animation was great, other parts... not so much. The various versions of Batman throughout were cool.I liked that for the most part all the stories were loosely connected. The connection to the movies was there at times, but for majority it just felt like another animated version of Batman. The Scarecrow, while not there very long, was too action-oriented compared to Nolan's version. Killer Croc was a nice treat especially given the continuity of the movies (Arkham's inmates all breaking loose).Not a waste of time watching by any means, but I guess I was expecting something else.

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I've never been a fan of anime, so it took me a while to adjust to the style of this video. The opening episode didn't help things either, with such exaggerated depictions of Batman (even the "real" Batman looked like shit). Still, I eventually adjusted and for the most part enjoyed what I saw. However, the inconsistencies in the animation were offputting and there's probably only or two instances where I thought Kevin Conroy fit the Batman they were presenting. They really should have recast the role. I love Conroy in TAS, but he doesn't fit here and if he was unable to modify his performance to fit the material then they should have gone with someone else. Overall, it's an interesting video, but I can't really see myself watching it again anytime soon.

I was a little put off by Conroy's voice throughout this as well, I feel like he usually has a bit of a deeper, gruffer voice for Batman, but here it sounded like he was doing his Bruce Wayne voice through the whole thing, maybe I'm just nitpicking. Anyways, I did like some of the stories, and throughout there are some excellent bits of animation (and some musical scoring that imbue some very cool Batman moments), but I wouldn't recommend this to any but the hardcore Batman fans.

RogueScribner wrote:I've never been a fan of anime, so it took me a while to adjust to the style of this video. The opening episode didn't help things either, with such exaggerated depictions of Batman (even the "real" Batman looked like shit). Still, I eventually adjusted and for the most part enjoyed what I saw. However, the inconsistencies in the animation were offputting and there's probably only or two instances where I thought Kevin Conroy fit the Batman they were presenting. They really should have recast the role. I love Conroy in TAS, but he doesn't fit here and if he was unable to modify his performance to fit the material then they should have gone with someone else. Overall, it's an interesting video, but I can't really see myself watching it again anytime soon.

That 'real' batman looked soooo studly. Family Guy studly. I thought this film was extremely boring. It dragged and dragged and dragged...

how funny. compared to 99% of these animated comic book franchises, when i watched gothan knight, i thought to myself, finally, they got it right. sure, the story isnt as engaging in some parts as others, but they finally made one of these fuckin things with a serious enough tone, and what i consider to be a pretty fucking cool look. im totally sick of all of the faux anime floating around right now, and so it was a real joy to see someone use an actual japanese animation studio. and 6 no less! the biggest disappointment for me was that there is no audio track in japanese with english subs. would've made for a pretty cool second viewing. much like the dark knight put all other comic book movies to shame, this one did the same for the animated ones. this flick was as cool and sweet as a gigantic, turgid, dripping, saccharine sweet big stick in my mouth! loved it!

burlivesleftnut wrote:I liked it, but didn't feel it was connected in ANY way to Batman Begins. I really liked Field Test or whatever it was called because Batman looked like the bad sissy from Battle of the Planets. heh.

Your right it doesn't have the same kind of connection that The Clone Wars did with Episodes two and three.

Brooke Burgess wrote:As for now, Burgess is tangentially watching another project, one that should please fans of Batman to no end.

“What’s really cool is that my old partners from Saints, Ian and Andrew, nabbed the rights to do the animated version of Batman: Black & White from Warner Brothers,” says Burgess. “I’ll probably get in trouble, but they are taking the original Black and White stories, and are giving them the Saints treatment. I think this will be going on DC Online or some other Warner site, probably also Apple.

“I’m just consulted a bit on this project. I’m happy to let Ian fly on this one. We’re also going to have voice actors like Michael Dobson on it, as well as a couple of other very talented friends. It’s going to look really neat and super, super stylized.”

As for the future? Don’t be surprised if Burgess takes a page or two from Terry Gilliam and move into the live action arena. He won’t give out the specifics of the film, but one gets the feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the near future.

For years I've thought "Batman: Black and White" was an untapped goldmine. I caught the flick Renaissance a while back and thought it should be handed over to those guys. Very stylish and great use of black and white.

ComicsContinuum is reporting that Warner Home Video has greenlit a DC Universe animated adaptation of Frank Miller and David Mazzucchilli‘s Batman: Year One. According to the report, the film will be directed by Sam Liu, who co-directed Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, Planet Hulk, and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. No confirmation from WHV at this time.

Batman: Year One was partly used for inspiration for Christopher Nolan‘s Batman reboot Batman Begins. The comic turned graphic novel is considered one of the best Batman stories ever printed. Here is the official description from DC Comics:

A young Bruce Wayne has spent his adolescence and early adulthood, traveling the world so he could hone his body and mind into the perfect fighting and investigative machine. But now as he returns to Gotham City, he must find a way to focus his passion and bring justice to his city. Retracing Batman’s first attempts to fight injustice as a costumed vigilante, we watch as he chooses a guise of a giant bat, creates an early bond with a young Lieutenant James Gordon, inadvertently plays a role in the birth of Catwoman, and helps to bring down a corrupt political system that infests Gotham.

Alan Kistler wrote:The panel also briefly discussed the upcoming animated adaptation of "Batman: Year One," the 1987 story arc that redefined the early days of Batman, Catwoman, Two-Face, and Jim Gordon, and later served as an inspiration for much of the film "Batman Begins." This animated film will be directed by Sam Liu, director of "All Star Superman."

When a fan asked if Frank Miller and Jim Lee's controversial "All Star Batman" comic book series would ever make it to animation, Dwayne McDuffie joked that if it ever did, “it would have to be Rated R.”

Borys Kit wrote: Bryan Cranston, Ben McKenzie, Eliza Dushku and Katee Sackhoff have been tapped to star as the voices in Batman: Year One, the adaptation of the Frank Miller comic book classic from Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation.

Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu are directing the movie, the 12th entry in the successful series of DC universe animated originals. Tab Murphy wrote the script.

The feature adapts the landmark four-issue story written by Miller and drawn by David Mazzucchelli that first appeared in 1987 on the heels of Miller's seminal work, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Those tomes, along with The Watchmen, helped elevate the comics medium, changing the public's perception of the art form and influencing Hollywood writers and artists to this day.

In Year One, a young Bruce Wayne is first starting out as a costumed vigilante. He creates an early bond with Lieutenant James Gordon, whose importance in the tale makes it as much as Gordon's story as Wayne's.

Cranston is playing Gordon, while McKenzie is Wayne/Batman. Dushku voices Catwoman, while Sackhoff is Detective Sarah Essen, a Gordon love interest.

As one of the holy grails in comic books, Year One will be closely scrutinized for faithfulness, but superhero animation veteran Bruce Timm, who is exec producing, says there is very little in the movie that isn't in the comic.

"The source material is surprisingly cinematic; it's a pretty straight forward literal retelling," he says. "Mazzucchelli's artwork is beautifully composed and we were able to refer to the comic for about 80 percent of the camera setups."

Cranston, an Emmy winner for AMC's Breaking Bad, says he initially turned down the chance to work on Year One, not even wanting to read the script. He blames it on his ignorance of the animation medium as well as the classic comics.

"I wasn't aware of this level of storytelling in animation. I confess that freely," he says. "They didn't give the characters the short shrift. I was stunned."

Batman: Year One, which will be rated PG-13, is scheduled to be released on home video in the fall but will world premiere in July at Comic-Con.

Cranston is repped by UTA, while McKenzie is repped by Management 360 and Ziffren Brittenham.

Kyle Hembree wrote:Last night, DC hosted a premiere showing of their newest animated feature, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, followed by a panel discussion with the audience. During this panel, it was revealed that Warner Bros. will release two new, full-length Batman animated films in 2014 – Batman: Assault on Arkham and Son of the Batman.

Batman on Film shares the news from the panel that Son of the Batman and Assault on Arkham will be the next DC animated features after next year’s Justice League: War. Given the current production timeline, the two movies will likely debut in the second half of 2014.

Son of the Batman will adapt the storyline “Batman and Son,” originally written by Grant Morrison (All-Star Superman) and illustrated by Andy Kubert in 2006. The story arc kicked off Morrison’s tenure as Batman’s primary writer – a tenure that will finally wrap up after seven years next month. In this premiere arc, a newly optimistic Bruce Wayne is confronted by Talia al Ghul, who reveals that the two actually conceived a son together over ten years ago – Damian Wayne.

Before it’s debut this weekend at Wondercon, DC’s All Access has a preview for the new Batman Beyond short done by Darwyn Cooke. Cooke is best known for his The New Frontier series that became an animated feature.

BRIAN LOWRY wrote:Warner Bros. Animation’s steady assault of direct-to-Blu-ray superhero movies continues at a frenetic pace, so much so that the subjects keep pushing further into the fringes of the DC Comics universe. So it is with “Batman: Assault on Arkham,” which assigns the Dark Knight top billing, but really focuses on a thrown-together team of lesser villains given the suicide mission of conducting a raid on Arkham Asylum. Yes, Batman shows up, as do a number of better-known members of his rogues gallery. Still, the movie will play best with those who don’t need to consult Wikipedia to identify King Shark.

It’s mindless fun, perhaps, although there’s a sense these titles have been running on fumes a bit since peaking with adaptations of the graphic novels “The Dark Knight Returns” (captured in two glorious parts) and “Batman: Year One.”

DC All Access has your first look at WB Animations' latest effort, Batman vs Robin, which sees Gotham's protector and his assassin-trained son take on the shadowy Court of Owls. This film is a direct sequel to Son of Batman.

Ethan Anderton wrote:Batman Ninja is a new direct-to-video animated movie that will reimagine Batman as a ninja, complete with anime style animation. Sweetening the deal is the fact that Afro Samurai creator Takashi Okazaki is working on the Batman anime, which will have a panel at New York Comic-Con next weekend revealing more about the Batman Ninja anime.

Ethan Anderton wrote:Batman Ninja is a new direct-to-video animated movie that will reimagine Batman as a ninja, complete with anime style animation. Sweetening the deal is the fact that Afro Samurai creator Takashi Okazaki is working on the Batman anime, which will have a panel at New York Comic-Con next weekend revealing more about the Batman Ninja anime.